Chapter 5 The Little Mermaid In the deepest part of the bluest ocean there lived the little mermaid.
Like all mermaids, she had no feet.
Her body ended in a tail like a fish.
Yet she was very beautiful.
She was the daughter of a king which made her a princess, an ocean princess.
As a young mermaid.
The little princess dreamed of the time when she would be old enough to swim to the surface of the water.
She had heard many wonderful stories about grand ships and brilliant city lights that could be seen there.
When the mermaid turned fifteen, her father gave her permission to swim to the surface.
The little mermaid was delighted.
She swam up that night.
When she burst through the top of the ocean, she stared at the new sights.
The little mermaid found the perfect spot to watch big ships come her way.
She waited for a few minutes, then noticed a big white sail in the distance.
The clouds were golden in the background.
The northern star glittered in the sky, and the sea was as smooth as glass.
She smiled at her good fortune.
The little mermaid swam closer to the ship to get a better look.
She was able to see inside the cabin windows.
There was a grand celebration going on.
She saw a few older men chanting and singing.
In the center of the action was a young prince.
He could not have been more than sixteen.
His eyes were large and dark, his hair wavy and light from the sun.
It seemed to be his birthday, which must have been the reason for the party.
The men set off fireworks in honor of the prince.
This burst of noise startled the little mermaid so much that she dove far underneath the water for some time before she felt it safe to return to the surface.
When she did, she saw the grand display of what looked like stars falling from the sky.
She had never seen anything so beautiful before.
The burst of light made the area bright for a few seconds.
It was just enough time for the mermaid to see the face of the handsome prince.
He was standing up on deck now, laughing and shaking hands with the others.
She couldn't tear herself away from the sight of him.
Soon, however, a change in the weather caused them all to move quickly.
The waves began to roughen.
A storm was close by.
The men knotted the sails and took to their individual jobs.
As the sailors tried to secure the ship, the storm began to racket.
The little mermaid almost laughed at first as she saw grown men panicking because of a little storm.
Why, she had seen much, much worse in her short lifetime.
But then she remembered that humans could not live in water, and she felt her heart quicken.
She knew the prince was doing his best to save his shipmates.
The storm quickly demolished the ship.
It was hard to believe that a short time ago it had been rocking gently and hosting a birthday party.
Now it was gone.
The little mermaid could see pieces of it scattered everywhere in the water.
It was very dark.
Even if any of the men had lived through the storm, they wouldn't be able to find one another.
The tearful mermaid could think of only the prince.
Where was he?
She could save him.
Why wasn't he swimming to her?
But of course, he didn't even know she existed.
She needed to find him, and fast.
After a few tries, the little mermaid found the prince barely hanging on to a piece of wood.
His eyes were already closing, but she could feel him looking right into her face.
His strength was giving out and if she had not found him just then, the prince, without question, would have died.
She knew he wouldn't forget that a beautiful lady had come to his rescue.
The little mermaid swam to shore, pulling the prince along with her.
She had hoped he would be awake by the time she reached the sand.
Instead, he looked lifeless.
His eyes were shut and his cheeks were pale.
She kissed his forehead and turned his face toward the sun that was now peeking through the clouds, hoping the warmth might wake him.
Then she heard voices in the distance, human voices.
She knew she'd have to hide.
The little mermaid gave the prince one last look, then swam behind a nearby rock.
A group of nuns from a nearby church found the young prince on the shore.
They picked him up gently and carried him away.
The little mermaid had tears in her eyes.
She had a feeling that when the prince awoke, he would not know exactly who had saved him from the storm.
With an aching heart, she dove back under the water and swam as fast as she could to get to her home beneath the sea.
She wanted to forget the prince, forget her trip to the surface and live as a mermaid should deep in the sea.
And so the little mermaid did for a while.
Eventually though, she missed her prince so much that she decided to tell her sisters about the boy she had fallen in love with.
They might know what to do.
Her dear sisters listened to her story.
And I shall never see him again, the little mermaid cried at the end of the tale.
As her tears began to flow, she noticed one of her sisters smiling.
I can find out where the prince lives, the littlest sister announced.
I'll ask some of my friends to seek him out.
The little mermaid sister spread the word about the prince.
Sure enough, in very little time, the prince had been found.
Come, we shall all go to the surface together, the sister announced.
I know how to get to the prince's castle.
The little mermaid could barely believe her luck.
After the first time she went to the prince's castle, she went there almost every evening.
She swam up and down until she could see the prince, but he never saw her.
She would have given anything to be with him, for even one day.
She told her sisters about how much she wished to be a human.
You know, there is one thing you can do if you truly want to become a real person, said another one of her sisters.
I wouldn't want to go there myself, but if you dare, you can go to the Witch of the Sea.
The little mermaid listened as her sister told her about the witch.
It all sounded quite terrifying.
Yet the hopeful mermaid had no choice but to go if she ever wanted a chance to be with the prince.
Meeting the witch was scary, but the little mermaid was determined.
I know what you want, the witch said before the little mermaid could even open her mouth.
Wanting to become a human is foolish, but I will grant you your wish.
You will lose your tail and have two legs grow in its place.
Once the prince falls in love with you, you will become human, forever tingled with delight.
She wanted to shout about her love for the prince, but the witch held up her bony finger to stop the princess from speaking.
I have a magic potion to give you that you must take with you when you next swim to the prince's palace.
You must sit on the shore and drink it.
Once you have drunk the whole potion, the process will begin.
I won't lie to you.
It will hurt very much.
It will feel like someone is cutting your body with a knife.
But afterward everyone who sees you will think you are the most beautiful woman they have ever seen.
You will be graceful, but you will feel pain with every step.
If you still want to go through with this, I will grant your request.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes, I do, the little mermaid answered in a trembling voice.
She could only think of the prince.
But remember, said the witch, you can never be a mermaid again.
When you become a human, you can never go down to see your family or your home again.
And if you don't win over the prince's love and become his wife, you will never have a full life.
In fact, if the prince marries another, that very day your heart will break and you will die.
You will change into foam and float on the waves of the sea.
I still want to do this, the little mermaid almost shouted.
Please do this for me.
Well, I do need payment, you know. the old witch said in a gruff tone.
What do you want? the girl asked, growing more impatient by the minute.
You have the most charming voice of all the creatures of the sea.
I know you would like to use it to attract your young prince, but your voice is something I must have.
But if you take my voice from me, said the princess, what do I have left to charm my prince?
Oh, you are so lovely, answered the witch.
The prince will fall in love with you before he even speaks to you.
Listen, little one, I've used my own blood to make this potion.
You know that I will take nothing less than your voice for payment.
Fine, the little mermaid said.
Take my voice, but go on.
I want to find my prince.
Here it is. the witch said, handing a bottle of liquid to the mermaid.
At that same moment, she placed one of her bony hands on the mermaid's neck and the other hand on her own neck.
The witch mumbled some magic, and that was it.
She had captured the voice of the princess.
Within seconds, the witch disappeared.
The little mermaid swam to the shore right outside the prince's palace.
She sat on the sand, drank the potion, and Like a sword through her body, the pain began.
When she could take no more, she lay back on the sand, lifeless and pale.
When the sun came up, she awoke.
She was no longer a mermaid.
She was human.
The pain of her transformation was burning in every inch of her body, but standing before her was the man she had been waiting forever to meet again.
Prince was looking at her, his dark eyes gazing into hers.
The little mermaid looked down and saw that her tail had indeed disappeared.
Two long, slender legs took its place.
The young prince held out his hand and helped the girl to her feet.
The pain that she felt when she stood was as horrible as the witch said it would be.
As she and the prince walked toward the palace, she felt as if she were treading on sharp blades.
But she took the pain, for being by the prince's side was worth it.
The prince asked her several questions as they walked.
Her name, where she came from, how she got here.
But her voice was truly gone.
She could only smile sweetly at the prince when he spoke.
When they arrived at the palace, the little mermaid was handed robes of silk.
Everyone at the palace agreed that she was the most exquisite beauty they had ever seen.
That afternoon, a girl of the court came to sing for the prince and his parents.
The little mermaid felt her heart grow sad as she saw how much everyone adored the singer.
If only they could hear her own voice.
And, the princess thought in silence, if only he knew that I gave up my voice for him.
During the song, the prince took the little mermaid's hand and began to dance with her.
The dainty girl twirled and cascaded around the room so gracefully that she forgot about the guest with a beautiful voice.
Everyone was watching the beautiful princess dance with the young prince.
It was decided that Little Mermaid would be a guest in the palace and have her own apartment with the finest of things.
She had riding clothes made for her and went with the prince on a horseback riding trip.
How strange this was for her, riding on the back of a land animal for the first time.
Quite often they got off their horses and walked until they were tired.
The little mermaid beamed throughout the day.
She was so happy to be with the prince.
But when the palace went to sleep that night, she walked out to the sea to place her feet in the water.
She thought of her family and her faraway home.
Although she was sad, she felt connected to them through the water.
She decided she would visit the ocean every night.
The next night, while she was standing at the edge of the water, her sisters came swimming by arm in arm.
The little mermaid was so happy to see them.
Her mermaid sisters sang a sad song to her.
She motioned for them to come closer.
She wanted to tell them how homesick she was, but also how happy she was to be with the prince.
They couldn't get close enough to the shore to be near to her.
The mermaids came back to see their sister every night, even if they couldn't get close enough to talk.
One time they brought their old grandmother with them.
She had not been to the surface for many years.
Their father, the Ocean King, also came to visit once.
He had been angry and disappointed when his little mermaid left, but after his daughter had been away for so long, he began to forgive her.
He longed to see her again.
Their short visit reminded him of how much she had meant to him.
A salty tear dropped from his face to the ocean.
Every day the little mermaid grew dearer to the prince.
He loved her like a sister, but he never thought of loving her as more than that.
Yet she had to become his wife so she could become a true human.
Otherwise, as the witch had warned her, she would be changed into sea foam and forever toss over the sea.
One day the prince said to the little mermaid You are more dear to me than anything else in the world.
You remind me of a maiden whom I have been searching for.
I was on board a ship that was wrecked in a sudden storm.
The waves threw me on ashore near the dimple.
When I woke up, many maidens surrounded me.
The youngest of them saved my life.
I only saw her once, but I can still picture her face.
She is the only one I will ever love.
You look so much like her that I almost get confused.
I have thought that many times.
You may have been that maiden who saved my life, but I don't know how to find her again.
I think fortune has granted me you instead.
Oh how I wish I could tell him it was me who saved his life.
The little mermaid thought with a sigh.
I carried him through that storm to the shore.
I watched him from behind a rock as the maidens gathered around him, but I had brought him to safety.
She sighed deeply because she had lost her ability to cry.
When the witch captured her voice, prince readied his ship for a journey.
I must go and meet a beautiful princess, the young man said.
My parents say I must marry her, he added.
I will see her, but they cannot make me marry her.
She cannot be as lovely as you.
If I must choose to marry, of course I will take you, my silent girl with the speaking eyes.
And he kissed her cheek and helped her to get her own things ready to go along with him.
The beautiful woman rarely left his side.
The next morning, the prince and the little mermaid sailed until they entered the harbor of the next kingdom.
They arrived within a few hours and caught a glimpse of the beautiful princess whom the king and queen had chosen for their son.
The little mermaid had a hard time accepting how perfect and lovely the woman's features were.
Never had she seen anyone with skin so fair and eyes so dark and smiling.
It's her, the prince cried as soon as he laid eyes on her.
She is the one who saved my life in the storm.
No, it was me, the little mermaid wanted to cry.
I am the one who saved you.
But it was no use.
The little mermaid looked at the prince, trying to pretend she was happy for him.
I know, my sweet maiden, you will rejoice for me because all you have ever wanted is my happiness, the prince said, looking into her eyes.
The little mermaid kissed his hand in her sorrow, thinking her heart would surely break.
If his wedding day were soon approaching, then her death would also come soon.
The little mermaid took the prince's arm and tried to pull him back as he walked back to the princess.
It's fine, he assured her as he escaped her grip.
I know now who my heart belongs to.
My parents have chosen wisely.
This is my bride.
Smile for me, for this will be my wedding day.
Bells rang and messengers hailed the news through the streets.
The wedding took place that very afternoon.
The little mermaid, dressed in silk and cloth of gold stood behind the princess and held the train of her bridal dress.
But the mermaid didn't hear the music or see the beauty in the ceremony.
She was losing the man she had given up everything for.
She stared motionless at the happy couple in front of her.
She could not believe this was happening.
Her prince was leaving her.
It was time for her to go, too.
The little mermaid disappeared from the crowd as soon as the prince and princess were married.
She was sure no one would even notice that she was gone.
All eyes were on the happy couple, and she would never be with him again.
The water looked inviting when the little mermaid reached the sandy beach.
She walked along the sand for a moment, recalling the times she and her prince had played on the shore.
She now realized that the moments she had spent with the prince were truly wonderful, but selfish.
It was time for him to be with someone who could speak and sing and share his life.
A mermaid can never truly be a human.
She is a treasure that is better to be kept secret in the deep blue sea.
A gentle breeze met her as the waves lapped over her toes.
Her ankles moved through the salty water and her feet took her deeper into the ocean.
The water was past her knees and up through her waist.
For a moment she looked out at the horizon and thought one last time about her prince.
She felt her body slowly dissolving as she took her last steps into the water.
She would now be nothing more than sea foam, the top of a wave, forever trying to make it back onto the shore.
Back at the wedding, the party moved to the king's giant ship.
All were celebrating the blessed day.
The prince and his lovely bride held hands, looking out over the ocean.
She's beautiful, isn't she?
The prince asked his new wife as they gazed out into the water.
You mean the ocean?
The princess said, smiling.
The prince nodded.
Just then, a cool ocean breeze sprayed a mist across the prince.
It made him stand tall and look out into the horizon.
It was almost as if someone had called his name.
Familiar feelings of love and warmth spread throughout his body and his heart beat like the heart of a man who had it all the love of a princess and the secret treasures found only at the bottom of the sea.
